Die-cutting machine.



ROBINS TTING MA 0N FILED IB UHINR.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

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D. P. ROBINSON. DIE CUTTING MACHINE.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL P. ROBINSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO CONTINENTAL CAN COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

DIE-CUTTING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL P. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Die-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in gang die cutting or punching machines, and more especially to machines which are operated to cut disks or can ends from a sheet of metal.

An object of the invention is to provide a gang of dies which are arranged relative to one another, so that by three operations of said gang of dies a maximum number of disks or can ends may be cut from said sheet of metal, the sheet being shifted to properly position the same relative to the ies.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gang of dies with cooperating gages, located at the rear and the front of the machine, and so disposed relative to the dies that in one operation the sheet of metal is against the gages at the rear of the dies, and at another operation the sheet is against the gages in front of the dies.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gang of dies with cooperating interchangeable gages, which may be disposed so as to cooperate with said dies for positioning the sheet of metal relative thereto for different operations.

These and other objects will in part be obvious, and will in part be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, which show by way of illustration, the invention,-Figure 1 is a top plan view of a bed plate, having an arrangement of female dies and gages, in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a View of the same from the front of the machine; Fig. 3 is a view of the same from the right hand end of the machine; Fig. 4 1s a detail sectional View, showing the adjustable support for the interchangeable gage; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a sheet of metal disposed relative to the dies and gages for a second operation upon the sheet; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, with the sheet disposed for the third operation there- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 23, 1909.

Patented Dec. '7, 1909. Serial No. 479,55

on; Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 2, showing a modified form of arrangement of gages for gaging the side of the sheet.

The machine to which my invention is applied may be of any desired construction of punching machine, which carries a reciprocating head supporting the male dies, and a bed plate which supports the female dies. Inasmuch as the particular type of machine to which my invention is applied, is entirely immaterial, and the specific construction of the dies forms no part of the present invention, I have merely illustrated in the drawings a bed plate, showing the female dies and the construction and arrangement of my gages relative to said dies.

The bed plate 1 is provided with a plurality of female dies a, which, as herein shown, are arranged in parallel rows crosswise of the bed plate, with the dies staggered relative to one another, and the distance between the inner edges of the dies in each row slightly greater than twice the diameter of one of the male dies, so that in other operations disks or can ends may be cut from the space in the sheet between the female dies in each row. The rows are so disposed relative to one another, that if the dies were not staggered they would slightly overlap, and by this arrangement, I am able to cut from a sheet of metal, disks which shall be staggered relative to one another, and arranged so that there is a minimum amount of waste material.

At the rear of the machine I have provided interchangeable gages 2, 2. Said gages are pivotally secured to a plate 3 by means of a pivot bolt 4. A plate 3 is dovetailed in cross section, as shown in Fig. 4E, and fits a corresponding recess 5 formed in the bed plate. Said plate 3 has a clownwardly projecting portion 6, which engages a bolt 7 threaded into the bed plate. By adjusting the bolt 7, the position of the plate 3 in the bed plate may be varied.

The gage 2 is provided with a gaging surface 8, and a gaging surface 9. The gaging surface 8 is located closer to the pivot bolt 4 than the gaging surface 9. Any suitable means may be employed for holding the gage 2 in its proper position relative to the plate 3. I have herein shown a pin 10, which is adapted to engage a recess in the plate 3, andhold the gage 2 in proper position. When the gage 2 is in the position chine.

shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the gaging surface 9 is brought into cotiperation with the dies and positions the sheet of metal, as shown in dotted lines 11, Fig. 1. By lifting the pin 10, the gage may be swung end for end, which brings the gaging surface 8 into coop,- erative relation with the gang of dies, and the sheet is then positioned as shown in dotted lines 15, in Fig. 1, and in full lines in Fig. 5. It will thus be seen that I have provided an interchangeable gage which opthe dotted line 14, Fig. 1, or as shown in full lines in Fig. 6. In order that the sheet may be gaged either by the rear side or the front side thereof, it is necessary, of course, that the sheet should be run through a sizing ma- As a means for gaging the end of the sheet, I have shown in Fig. 1 a gage 16, which is secured in any suitable way to the bed plate. At the opposite side of the sheet from the gage 16, I have shown two female notching dies 17 and 18. When the sheet of metal is placed against the gage pin 16, and against the gage pins 9, at the rear of the machine, a series of disks Z) may be cut therefrom, such as shown in full lines in Fig. 5, where the sheet has been changed end for end from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In the same operation that the disks are cut from the sheet, the gaging dies indicated at 17 and 18, will notch the edge of the sheet, forming gaging notches 19 and 20, which are the same distance from the cut disks as the edge by which the sheet was initially gaged.

After having cut the series of disks 5 by positioning the sheet, as above described,

-the sheet may be changed end for end, the

interchangeable gages 2 shifted so as to bring thegaging surfaces 8 into operative relation with the dies and the sheet of metal is then placed against the gaging surfaces 8 and the gaging notch 20 will engage the gage 16; In this position of the sheet, the same gang of dies will cut a series of disks 0, indicated by dotted lines inFig. 5, and in full lines in Fig. 6.

After having performed the above operation, the sheet may be brought forward, until it rests against the gaging surfaces 12, 12, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and in full lines in Fig. 6. The gaging notch 19 is now brought against the gage pin 16. The sheet is now positioned so that a series of disks 41 indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6,

may be cut therefrom. By this last operation, it will be seen that I now have cut the entire sheet with a staggered arrangement of disks, so disposed that a minimum amount. of waste material is left between said disks. Instead of providing the notching dies 17 and 18, I may size the sheet endwise, and use two gages 21 and 22, which would c0- operate first with one side of the sheet and then with the other. Said gages 21 and 22 shown in Fig. 7, are pivoted to the bed plate, and are held in operative relation to the dies by suitable pins 23, which engage a recess in the bed plate.

In the first operation above described, the gage 21 is swung about its pivot to an inoperative position, and the sheet gaged by the gage 22. In the second and third operations above described, the gage 22 is swung to an operative position, and the gage 21 brought into operative position to engage the side of the sheet and position the same for both of said operations. It will, of course, be understood that in the operation of my machine, the same may be set for performing any one of the operations and a number of sheets of metal cut thereby, after which the machine may be set for performing the second and third operations, which, of course, can be performed one after the other, without shifting the position of the gages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A die-cutting machine, including in combination a gang of dies, interchangeable gages at the rear of the machine for dii'lerently locating a sheet relative to said dies for two separate operations of said dies, a gage at the front of the machine for diii'erently locating said sheet relative to said dies for another operation of said dies, and means at the end of the machine for positioning the end of said sheet.

2. A die cutting machine including in combination, a gang of dies, interchangeable gages at the rear of the machine for dil'l'erently locating a sheet relative to said dies for two separate operations of said dies, a gage at the front of the machine for differently locating said sheet relative to said dies for another operation of said dies, and means for locating the sheet in the same endwise position relative to the dies for each operation.

3. A die cutting machine, including in combination, a gang of dies arranged in parallel rows crosswise of the machine with the dies in adjacent rows staggered relative to one another, and the space between the dies in each row slightly greater than the diameter of said dies, means for locating the sheet in three different positions crosswise of the machine for three different operations of said dies, and means for locating the sheet in the same endwise position relative to the dies for each operation.

4. A die cutting machine, including in combination, a gang of dies arranged in parallel rows crosswise of the machine with the dies in adjacent rows staggered relative to one another, and the space between the dies in each row slightly greater than the diameter of said dies, interchangeable gages at one side of the machine for differently locating a sheet for two difl'erent operations of the dies, a gage at the other side of the machine for locating the sheet for another different operation of the dies, and means for locating the sheet in the same endwise position relative to the dies for each operation.

5. A die-cutting machine, including in combination, a gang of dies, a gage having two gaging surfaces, means whereby either of said gaging surfaces may be brought into operative relation to said dies, and means for locking said gaging surfacesin operative position.

6. A die cutting machine, including in combination, a gang of dies arranged in parallel rows crosswise the machine, with the dies in adjacent rows staggered relative to one another, and the space between the dies in each row, slightly greater than twice the diameter of said dies, means at the rear of the machine for locating a sheet whereby a series of disks may be cut therefrom, arranged in parallel rows and staggered relative to each other, means at the rear of the machine for positioning said sheet whereby a series of disks may be cut from said sheet, which are located in the same parallel rows as the first named series of disks and adjacent the disks in said rows, means at the front of the machine for locating said sheet whereby a third series of disks may be cut by said dies, which are located in the same parallel rows as the first named series of disks, and between the disks of the first series and the disks of the second series in said rows, and means for positioning said sheet endwise whereby the disks of the three named series are located in the same parallel rows.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

. DANIEL P. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. Hnwns, MARK A. ELLIOTT. 

